Type-writing machine.



. G, KNURCK.

WM WRH'WG MACHINE.

AF'HECAHQYH mgr: MAR. 17, wii,

1. ,260,209. Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

2 SHETSSHEET 2.

wrmassgs: 5 INVENTOR= /r 7 I wad/aiww. I i 40 I i I fa WZMM H BY QM ATTORNE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. KNURGK, OF WOODHAVEN. NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 UNDERWOOD -TYTE- WRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

Application filed March 17, 1917. Serial No. 155,385.

Woodhaven, Long Island, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-Writing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My in ention relates to. typewriting machines, and is herein described as applied to an Underwood typewriting machine adapted to write flat stencil cards without noticeably bending them. It is customary to have such stencil cards made of a card board frame which is comparatively heavy, and having an o ening across which is stretched a stone sheet, said sheet being firmly attached t0 the cardboard. This sheet is usually moistened, preparatory to cutting, the stencil, to soften the material with which the sheet is coated, to enable the stencil to be written thereon. Any Ina-- terjalbendin of the cardboard frame is obviously disc venta one if the card is to be used in automatic addressing or similar machines, and urther is likely to crack the stencil sheet i "the openin or else may 'stretchit irre 'liirly out o shape,-in any event producing a poor effect when the stencil is used for addressing.

Since the stencil sheet included in said card is usually small, thewritmg of the typewriter covers only a very srnal part of the typewriter laten, thus rapidly marrmg the surface of t e platen,-th1s unfavorable action. beingespecially increased by the fact that such stencil cards generally include several peridds, with the result that the sharp period type of the typewriter soon scriousl indents the platen. This in ury to the alien, is the more serious in writing stencils ifith ordinary typewriter type, becauseth e surface of the laten has to be much harder than an or .1nary typewriter platen if the stencil is to be satis cut, with the result that the rubber surface, instead of having the sprmginess inherent in ordinar correspondence typewriter platens, is so ard that the type tends to permanently indent the platen before rebounding fromit. p

I have found it possiblezto avoid such difficulties by providing the platen with a reactorily placeahle hard surface in the form qyf a celluloid sheet, which. not only will be harder than the platen, but which also ,has the property of repelling water, thus nihtorially improving the action of the type on a wet stencil sheet with the celluloid behind it. Such celluloid, however, is usually extremely slippery, with the result that it does not get enough hold on the stencil. card or sheet to cause the card and sheet to be fed forward satisfactorily. To overcome the diliicfilties arising from this slipperiuess, I have found it advantageous to construct the celluloid sheet and its holder so that the celluloid only covers part of the width of the card, while the card outside of the celluloid is gripped by an enlarged portion of the platen which is extremely elastic, so that it ten ds to get a grip on the card suh'icient to feed the card backwardly and forwardly. The celluloid strip need only cover the Space occupied by the stencil sheet itself, so that if the card holder in which the stencil is mounted has other writing spaces on it, the types. of the typewriter may write thereon, through the usual ribbon with the rubber of the platen serving as a backing in the usual manner.

In order in provide for the writing of cards which are deeper than would be accommoduted in an ordinary Underwood machine above the unlversal bar, said universal har may be made with U-shaped portions or goose-necks, thus providing an o ening to accommodate a chute into which t e stencil.

platen, and therebyincrease the grip that the platen gets on the card.

To diminish the amount of slippln has tween the card and the platen, it wil befound advantageous to connect flexible bands to the platen and make the chute of such a shape that the flexible bands will lie against or he confined by the chute, and against which the face of the card bears. This makes the feeding of the card satis factory. The ends of the bands may be i on a larger scale,

usual Underwood machine,

the p aten.

' strike against a turned up so as to )artly cover the 0 posite face of the card/thereby diminislilng still further its friction in the chute.

Since these, ban is are preferably thin and have not suflicient stiffness to force them.- selves ddwn into the chute when the chute malybe sticky from moisture which has run of, the platen is advantageously provided with device for preventing its being rotated ,backward accident-ally; said device, however, being releasable to permit the platen to be rotated backwardly if the operative uts a card in the chute and forces the ban s down therein by pressure on the top of the card.

Other features and advantages will here inafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a Underwood typewriting machine, my invention as applied thereto. 7

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary skeleton perspective ofpart thereof.

Fig. 3 is a side view of a. device for con trol ing the backward rotation of the platen.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of part of the laten showing the cel uloid showing sheet and its holder.

Fig. 5 is a sectional side view of the platen and its .hute at the moment of printing on an extensien of the card.

Fig. 6 is a similar view, showing the momerit of printing on the stencil part of the car Fi 7 is a detail section of one end of F1 8 is a front view of the stencil cardboard-holder with a stencil thereon.

Type keys 1 when de ressed carry down key levers 2 to cause he] -cranks 3 to swing type-bars 4 upwardly and rearwardly, so that types 5 t ereon strike against a front side of a platen 6. Said platen, as in the is rotatably mounted in a typewriter carriage 7, which. slides on rails 8 and is drawn. along to the left by means of a spring barrel (not shown), its movement being riage, and meshing with the 10 connected to the usual escapement wheel 11, on which the usual dogs 12 are alternativelyiefiective. Said dogs are operated by the usual-heels13 on the type-bars l, which universal ar 14; said universal bar being mounted at its rear end on the usual rocker 1b, and effective on the dogs 12 through the usual extension or lug 16, and being connected to said extension by deep U-shaped bars 17. The U-shaped bars 17 reach down almost to the key levers to permit a card 18, when inserted downwardly and inclined slightly rearwardly from in front of the platen,,to drop without interference until t almost strikes said U-shaped sectional side .v-iew of an controlled by the usual rack bar 9 connected to the carusual pinion' bars 17. At every operation of the universal bar, the usual ribbon holder or carrier 18' is vibrated upwardly, so that a V ribbon therein will print on the stencil card. For stenciling purposes, the ribbon is either removed from the carrier 18 or else the mechanism is provided with the usual silencing device for stencil cutting, shown in the Cook Patent, No. 926,050.

To vibrate the ribbon-carrier for printing .urposes, the universal bar: 14 is provide with the usual frame 19, comprising a slot 20, in which rides the usual pivot 21, said pivot being on one end of a U-shaped ribbon-vibrator 22, which is pivoted on the frame at '23. In the present; device, the vibrator'22 is U-shaped to match the bars 17, so that it will give the same'clearance to the stencil card he pre'sent machine is shown without the platen shift, so that it is only provided with a singleset of ty es 5.

In order to he (I the stencil card when it is projected downwardly into the bight of the U-shaped members 17 and 22; there is provided a pair of channel bars 24, which form a chute to en age each mar in of the stencil card 18. ach channel ar 24 is fastened to the typewriter carriage by means of a bracket 25, which is screwed to the rear of its channel member 24, and is also fast to a bar 26", extending longitudinally of the typewriter carriage. The channel bars 24, each lap over the margin of the stencil card far enough to steady'it, and are set just far enough apart to permit the stencil card to slip down easily between them without binding, and yet to be closely guided. Each channel bar includes ano ening 26 facing the. other, and also inclu es a front face 27, a back face 28, and a side face 29. Each channel bar extends considerably above the closed at a bottom 30. nearest the platen, is low enough to clear face being progected, it would be tangent to, wit in, the surface of the ing the stencil card to be guided against the face of the platen. The outer face 27 of each channel bar 24, aszstated.above, -pro- The face28, which" is cut oil at 31, Fi 5 or slightly jects above the printing line, but is'cut' '18 that the bars 17 do;

the platen, its-- cold at such a position that if it were printing line and is platen, thus 'causaway at the printing line to permit: a .flat

s rim 32 to press t c platen at that fastened to the face The platen. 6 is wooden center 35. Since the the platen, on short, the remainder of the platen. is cut away, so that the.portio:ns 36 provided with the. usual effective printing length of writer axle between the part of the platen which is utilized and the ends of the type-:

the stencil card against point, the spring being 27 bysuitablescrews 33. i

34 and the rubber outerlface i which printing is done,-.is.=

of the type writer carriage are left open, thus reducin the weight of the carriage with the incidental reduction of noise, and so forth. The platen, however, is left long enou b, so that extensions of a rubber surface 3 on each side of the printing part of the platen are left intact. These extensions are provided with enlarged soft rubber rings for the purpose of engaging the marginsof the stencil card, as best illustrated in Fii. 7. In this fifure isalso shown a hub 38 y which the p aten is supported on its 1 e39.

In order to provide an effective hard backing surface for stencilizing'a stencil sheet 40, which is herein shown as at the bottom of the stencil card 18, and which is often wetted pre aratory to writing, the

with a removable celluplaten is provide loid sheet 41, This sheet is thin enough to be uite flexible and may be of an desired thic ness, being advantageously a cut one thirtysecond 0 an inch. This sheet is held in place by means of a pair of brass strips 42, which are held by screws 43 to the surface of the platen and have each a slightly up-turned lip 44, adapted to catch the celluloid sheet, this lip extending lon itudinally substantially the entire width 0 the celluloid sheet. Since the strip-42 is quite thin, it usually need not be let into the platen, because whatever added thickness it gives to the platen where it lies on the surface thereof can usually be arranged to come just at the margins of the stencil sheet 40, with the result that no writing will ever take lace on the stencil sheet 18, where it over lies on either of the strips 42. The remainder of the platen, lying some distance outside of the stencil sheet40, furnishes a satisfactory writin surface. In order to insure contact of t e stencil sheet 40 with the celluloid surface, so as to avoid breaking the sensitive surface of the stencil during the stencilization thereof, thebpward extensions of the faces 27 of the chutes 24 are curved rearwardly to a small extent, as seen at 45, in Figs. 5 and 6, thus slightly bending the stencil card at the printing point to insure close contact with the platen.

Inasmuch as the stencil card must move in the closely-fitting chute. channel bars 24 with considerablefriction, it is preferable to diminish said friction by, in effect, making one of the faces move with the platen. To accomplish this, there is attached at each end of the platen (as by the end screws 43, Figs. 2 and 5) a strip 46, preferably a very thin ribbon of brass. Each strip or ribbon 46 is adapted to slide within its own channel bar 24and be co-extensive with the face against which it lies, or projectin only slightly beyond said face, as seen at 4 ,Fig. 2. Each strip 46 has a turned-up end 48, which catches over any card inserted and thrust down into the chute, with the result by the sharp bend induced thereby y means of a handle 51, (Fig. 3) which is piv ted on the platen axle,'and which includes a cam 52, which is adapted to be effective on a pin 53 fast on the pawl 50, so as to shift said pawl to idle position when the handle is drawn upward. Therefore to insert a card, it is thrust downwardly as far as desired into the channel bars 24, and, after having been inserted it may be fed forwardly or upwardly in the usualmanner by the operation of a line-space handle 54,90

which is effective to variably rotate the platen through the usual pawl 55'. It will be noted that the bands 46 overlie the soft exteprsions -37 offlzhe laten, but, since they are ery thin, they o not add one the diameter thereof to interfere-wit proper feeding forward by the platen;

The celluloid strip 41 ,in usual writing, will write two or three hundred stencil the cards, and then will usually be found marred 1 .0 enough by the writing to make it advisable to replace it with a new iece of celluloid. In order kee the flexible bands 46 within their roper c annel bars 24 they may-be provi ed with a uide in the 5 mg bar 55, whic engages them both.v -In order to revent the platen from be'i rotated bacllwardly far enough to hen the bands 46 backwardly over the stri 42 which they are held, and thus break g th the backward rotation of the platen may be limited by a stop 56, formed on a disk 57 to the right-hand end of the platen axle and engaging a pin 58 fast in the laten "frame. 11

In order to limit the fdrwar rotation of the platen, there may be provided asecond disk 59, which is fast to the platen axle, and which comprises it etc 60, also adapted to strike the pin 58, and tli tion of the platen in theopposite direction. For the purpose of adjusting these disksrelatively to each other, there'ls provided a screw 61, passing through a slot 62 in the disk 59, said screw enga 'ng the disk 57, 1

with the result that by re easin the screw 61, the disk 57 may be release from the platen shaft and its stop 56 shifted to a new position. Thisenables the operative to in:

sert stencil cards into-the machine andto 180 ng up and in- I0 to feed backwardly into their chanapted 76 lit/095 orm of a spacwe ereby. limit the rota- Y the stencil card 1s to be" taken I printing W ,7 w gripped-bathe mustan fsn'gfa; the card to s inserted,'rotates the platen until it is brought to "r'est by the stop 56, and, on the other hand,

out of the machine when it is no 1011 r possible to operate the line-space anism, because the stop pr'events further rotation of the platen.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope ofthe' invention, and portions of the im rovements may be used without others.

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination with {a card-holdin device, of stops forlimiting the rotation, o the platen, a removable hard face forming part of the platen, arulg'ber face formin the remainder of the iyvritl'ngv surface of" ale platen,.and rub r ma gins r "ss t esr i e' above the surface of said ard face togrip thus described my invention, I

s ear-fianceeitarourrdthepiaten:* 25

2; In a t pewritin machine, the combination with a revolub e platen, of a straight "cardidin chute'mounted at the front of the atom 'elow the printing line, to hold a so stantially flat card in printing position against said platen card-guiding fingers extending upwardlyirom' said chute above the ine adaptedto slightly curve the he platen at the printing point, and mea'nsis'lidin within the chute to engage the cafd'by i lowered e, to slide the card upw rd y ela ly to .t e chute. p 3. Infat'ype :riti gmachine, the combinatioiiwith ua" ol-n e platen, of a chute adpcentt and a d to sit the danfadita the ca d. atthe linen t e, laten and an enlirfied Entities Qneach end 0; fl

9 t i i ans 0 card to h .lli lfa'i'iil 3e fil e said nlatenutor guiding a on mth I osition: a s his? at p printingliiie against t e platen,.an enlarged adapt dto en was ins whee, waiaidfili:

at: .1 a a the c adap to toss the card at the soft?" ippingf"surfaceoni each end of the mamginsotthe cardtogermit the ca V, ,iand'han ,lyin w in said cumin tothe platen a tedto ide. it rela m anaws w it; {in a writin n achme, the ootnbi with w vel t e bur senses; ,of a detain a at surfaceof said p aten ,mashine, the combi--- a re olule platen, of a chute, rd to get each sideof laten hating a tub ble celluloid 'ieoe slightly said platen and donning overlying the rubber, and a soft rubber enlarged section on eachend of said platen for gri ping a card where it lies upon the celluloi' on the printing line.

6. In a typewritlngmuchine, the combination with a revolub lplaten having a rubber surface, of a detac able cellulold ieco forming part of the surface ofisaid p aten overlying the rubber, a soft rubber enlarged section on each end of said platen for gripping a card where 'it lies upon the celluloid on the printin line, stops for positionin said laten, an a chute or guiding a car to said platen and comprism a member adapted to osition the card with reference to said cellu oid.

7 In a typewritin nation with a rev'olu 1e adjacent thereto for hol ing a cardfof an extension on said chute adapted to slightly curve a card back a' inst said platen and situated above the printing line, and springs forming art of said chute to press a. card againstt e platen at the printing line.

8. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen and a chu for holding a card adjacent thereto, of ex? tension fingers on said chute adapted to slightly' curve a card back against said platen and situated above the rinting line, springs forming art of said 0 ute to press a, card against the platen at the printing line, and bandswithin said chute attached to said platen and formin art of one face of said'chute adapted to s i e the card relatively to said chute past said springsand fingers. a a

9. In, a typewritin machine, the combination with a revoln le platen and a chute for-holding a card adjacent thereto, of extension fingers on said, chute adapted to curve a card hack against said platen and situated above the" muting line,

gluten and a chute sprin iorming art of said'o uteto press a ea a inst c pla'ten' atthe printing line, ban s within said chute attachedto said chute ada to side the card relatimely to said fingers, and means for feventing accidental backward rotatidn of t e platen to prevent doubling of the bandsin said chute.

sli htl curve p tec md sitiw s 'a'card' a line, bang;

'said chute adapted, to

fingers, mean 10; In a typewritinfi bination with a revolub eplaten and a chute for holding a card adjacent thereto, of extension flngers onand chats adapted to above line, springs part of said o inst t eplaten-at the printing said platen and formingpart to: onelaolglof 1 e e ca a chute past rema for preventing tively to! said .machine, the combiart'of one face of v ute past saidisprings and" machine, the comwithin saidgchute attached to book a oarduigainst said ute tojpress backward rotation of the platen to prevent doublin of the bands in said chute, and a stop for limiting the rotation of said platen to a point where said bands will be damaged b being bent by said platen.

11. n a typewriting machine, the eo|nhination with a traveling carriage, of a chute fast on said carriage comprising, two ehannel men'ihers terminating adjacent the printing line, extensions to said ehannel members to slightly bend the card against the platen at the printing line, and springs adjacent the printing line for holding the card against the platen.

12. In a ty 'iewriting maehine. the eonibination with a traveling earriage, ot' a ehnte. fast on said carriage comprising two rhan- 'nel members terminating adjaeent the printing line, extensions to said channel members to slightly bend the card against the platen at the printing line. springs adjacent the printing line For holding the eard against the platen, and hands attarheo tosaid platen lying within said chute adapted to feed a card relatively to said chute past the printing line.

13. In a typewriting machine. the romhi nation with a traveling rarriage. of a chute fast on said carriage eomprising two rharr nel members terminating adjarrnt the printing line, extensions to said channel members to slightly bend the card against the. platen at the printing line, springs adjaeent the. printing line for holding the card against the platen, hands attached to said pl ten lying within said chute, adapted to feed a card relatively to said chute pst the print ing line, and a stop for preventing a revolution of said platen to a point where the laten will bend the bands to injure them in the chute.

14. In a typewriting machine, the eombination With a revoluble platen, of a guide in front thereof and below the printing line, for holding and advancing cards adjacent said platen, said guide comprising a movable device connected to said platen and forming one side of the face of said guide, and having means to engage the bottom edge of the card. for raising the latter rela tively to the remainder of said guide.

15. In a trpewriling niaehine. the eoinbination with a revoluhle platen. oi a rardguiding ehule adjarenl said platen and in front thereof and arranged helow he printing line thereon. and havin inner :n..l outer eoiiperative fares and adapted to hold the eard against the plaleinand hands ronneeted to the platen. th hands lying against the, inner fare of the ehnte for engagement wil ll the rard therein. and having means to engage the lower edge of lhe (ard to :uhanee it up out of the chute.

16. in a tvpewriting maehine. the eomhination with a revolnhle platen and a oardguiding (little adjaeent thereto to eo-aet therewith. said ehnle extending helon the. printing line in front of the platen. of flexible work-earrying hands extending into aid rhute omprising derives adapted to engage l'y it lower edge a eard inserted in said chute. and a desire normally preventing lau'lnrard rotation of lhe platen. to prevent accidental doubling of the hands in the chute.

17. In a tvpewriling maehine. the t-oinhination with a revoluhle platen. of a eardguiding ehnte in from thereof and arranged below the printing line. to revolve a rard to he teni-ilized and written upon. and having lllttlllfi at its upper portion to press a snL slanlially straight rard against the platen, means l ving within the rhute. and eonneeted to the platen nd engagealil by the holt'rnn of the card inserted in the chute. to rcxolu: the platen l :u-l wardl and a stop for ar rest ing the lHlUl\\'2\l'lll lUT/fl.l ing platen when the eard has reached the necessary position for writing the first line thereon.

MARTHA E. MERK, Jmmm P. Tnomw. 

